From January 1996 through December 2005, the Disease Investigation Branch of the State Department of Health received reports of 250 separate incidents of ciguatera fish poisoning involving a total of 470 persons. Case ages ranged from <1 to 85 years, with a median age of 42. More than half (55%) of the cases occurred in males.
Current public health efforts are focused on identification of common sources of illness to prevent cases of ciguatera fish poisoning. Additional research is needed to better understand the ecological relationship between algal blooms, fish toxicity, and subsequent human illness.
Presenter:
Michele N. Nakata, BA
Chief, Disease Investigation Branch
Disease Outbreak Control Division
Hawaii State Department of Health
Friday, August 11, 2006
11:00 a.m.
Pacific Ocean Science & Technology Building 723
Refreshments will be served after the seminar in POST 121
The Pacific Research Center for Marine Biomedicine (PRCMB) is a newly established center at the University of Hawaii dedicated to trans-disciplinary research designed to gain new knowledge about the profound impacts of the ocean on human health. The Center is funded by the National Science Foundation (OCE04-32479) and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (P50ES012740).
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